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"How did you and Peter meet?" The question, and a few others, had been bubbling since the moment the both of them had settled in the study to do some independent reading. He wasn’t surprised it had finally managed to slip out.
It took Taika a moment to look up from their book, blinking several times before they seemed fully present in the room. "Hmm? Peter and I? We met at school."
"Like... school-school, or college?"
"College. He's almost four years older than me, so he was a senior when I came in as a freshman. He was a TA in one of my classes."
"Someone let Peter be a TA? How many students did he make cry?" A snort of laughter escaped them as they closed their book, probably sensing that Stiles was more interested in talking than going back to reading.
"Oh, a good portion of the class. He was a nightmare if he thought you weren't taking the course seriously enough. Most of the others were there to fill an elective. Nine of them dropped in the first week. The professor for that class was his favorite I think, and he didn't like the idea that anyone was wasting her time." Stiles could totally picture Peter lording over a classroom, defending his favorite professor from every slight real or imagined. He'd probably loved yelling at students who didn't turn in their shit or even turned in anything that was half-assed. The man was always giddy when Stiles let him take a red pen to his essays.
"Did he make you cry?"
"He hardly noticed me for most of the semester, to be honest. I was a lowly freshman who turned in assignments on time and made thoughtful contributions to class discussions. Peter was happy to ignore me and focus on the problem students instead."
"Soooo... when did he stop ignoring you long enough that you turned into friends?"
"I knew he was a werewolf right away, of course. They have a certain... feeling to them, if you know how to read energy. It's something you'll probably have a talent for once we get you a bit more settled. I think he knew something was different about me, but he wasn't threatened enough to do anything about it or ask any questions. I was a scrawny little thing back then, barely more than a shadow of myself." Taika smiled at the memory, and he sort of wanted to take a picture. "Outside of class I was working on developing my magic, and that led to me being alone on campus one night at... oh, it must have been about two in the morning. I didn't realize a chupacabra had been making a nuisance of itself in the area until it attacked me."
"Dude. Dude. Chupacabras are real? Holy fucking shit. That's so cool!" Taika raised a brow and Stiles quickly backtracked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean. Not when they're attacking you probably, but like. Otherwise. That's so cool."
"Hmm. If you say so. Peter happened to be wandering around that night as well - the universe intended us to be friends, clearly. He intervened and the rest followed from there."
"Were you two ever like... together?" He wished he could take the question back as soon as it escaped, because he did not want to know the answer for a couple different reasons.
"Well," Taika started, a smile blooming on their face. "When a handsome werewolf saves your life with extreme violence, I think you're bound to fall a little bit in love." They leaned to the side, propping their chin in one hand as they gazed off into the distance... or the past. "Then he rounded on me, covered in blood, and the nicest thing he said was to call me a moron. I must have looked absolutely pathetic by the end, because he frog-marched me to his Honors House and made me either a very late dinner or very early breakfast. We argued about which it was for years."
They looked so, so fond of the memory and it soured something in his stomach. He had plans, dammit. Or, well. Hopes at least. The way his dad looked at Peter was new, and sometimes it seemed like Peter might be looking back. But Taika was gorgeous, and he could feel their magic dancing in the air as soon as he got close. He couldn't imagine not wanting to date them, and Peter had like, really good taste about most things. He had to know that Taika was a catch. What if now that they were around, the two realized what they'd been missing in each other? Even worse, they had known Peter before the fire.
How were he and his dad supposed to compete with that?
"I was a bit devastated when he assured me that he forbade Talia from matchmaking us." Oh. Okay. That was a good sign for his hopes. Maybe. "But only for a little while. We were both so young... it would have ended terribly." Taika turned to look at him, though their eyes then slid closed as they gave a warm, happy smile. Stiles hated that it made his heart do an annoying little flutter in his chest - that was supposed to be Lydia's flutter, dammit. "Our brands of intensity simply wouldn't mesh well in that kind of relationship. One of us would end up dead, and I would be a very convincingly tragic widow."
Stiles burst out laughing, which seemed to have been the point of the declaration. Taika let out a few chuckles of their own, then let their head fall to the side again, temple now resting on their hand.
"But that wasn't the only question you wanted to ask, was it mageling?" It wasn't as good as a 'pup' from Peter, but it was close.
"... no. But uh. I probably shouldn't be asking any of these questions. Most people get really annoyed or even like, offended when I start asking questions, because apparently I have 'no sense of boundaries' or something." Lately he'd discovered that Lydia could be brutal when she was irritated with him, which he found more attractive than he probably should. "So I don't know if I should ask what I really want to know, because you've been great and I really like learning from you. I mean don't get me wrong, Peter's been fucking amazing, but since you came and started working with me I can feel how much more... settled? Present? ... aware? I don't know, my magic is something now, and I can feel it even when I'm not reaching for it, you know? And I can feel yours too, and I feel like I could do and learn so much more and I'd like that to be with you, so I don't want to upset you with my stupid quest for answers."
"Wanting answers isn't stupid. You just need to be careful about how you look for them." Taika watched him a moment, and he couldn't help but start to fidget. It was so hard to tell what they might be thinking, because most of the time they looked like they were a few long blinks away from a nap. Taika reminded him a lot of a cat, always on the look out for a good bit of sun to laze in... and hiding the claws they were more than willing to use at a moment's notice. He was sure there was a lot going on under that placid surface. "We're going to be working together for a good long while, I hope, and in each other's lives longer than that. So if you have a question for me - any question - feel free to ask it."
"Any question? That's giving me a lot of rope to hang myself with." Taika smiled lazily, free hand making a dismissive gesture.
"Nonsense. A little discretion is all I ask - nothing personal in public, if you please. While I can't promise that I'll always answer, I can vow to never be angry with you for asking. If something is too personal, or if it isn't mine to tell, I will let you know that's the case. But when I can, when it isn't something I mind sharing, I will give you the answers that you're looking for."
"... I feel like this is a double-edged sword. I don't know how yet, but this is totally a trap." Their laugh was loud and languid, eyes closing fully again as they voiced it. "See? That doesn't help. At all."
"Knowledge is always a double-edged sword. As you get older you'll get better at knowing when it's worth reaching for anyway. Now. Ask your next question, mageling."
"Why didn't you come to see him?" At first, Taika's only answer was one of their long, slow blinks. It kindled the anger that lived deep in his bones, and he couldn't help but continue. "He was stuck in that hospital for years. Laura and Derek didn't even bother to hide his name, which I almost understand, what with the whole running for their lives thing. But like. They were gone for a really long time and never even thought about him. At least not enough to fix it. Nobody ever came. He just had to lay there, alone and hurt and, and-"
"We had a terrible fight," Taika interrupted suddenly, their eyes drifting to the floor, shoulders dropping as well. "A few months before... everything. I had asked him to move to Maine with me, and he refused. I knew why and I reacted poorly. We had been friends long enough that when things escalated we knew exactly how to rip each other apart. Both of us said... we said genuinely unforgivable things that we didn't mean, but it was enough that I left and we didn't speak again. It was almost two years before I even heard whispers that anything had happened."
"But you could have come then. When you heard the whispers."
"I should have. But the rumors said that all the Hales were dead but two, and they'd run from Beacon Hills as fast as they could manage. Peter would never have fled. It didn't matter that they didn't like him and barely respected him," Taika's voice had gone deeper with anger, a scowl fighting to form on their lips. "He always gave them everything, and if he'd made it through the fire he would have razed the town to the ground if needed to kill the people who took his Pack from him. Since nothing like that happened... I assumed. I thought I had all the evidence and answers I needed, mageling, and I didn't look further." Taika pulled their legs up onto the sofa, curling up into a ball as they stared straight ahead. "And it was easier, I suppose, to mourn a friend than to go digging and find out he was alive but hated me for what I'd said. So I grieved... and then I moved on. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for it."
Stiles didn't know what to do with that, not really. Because while he was fascinated with and liked Taika, he was so, so angry on Peter's behalf. Maybe he bitched, but the guy still did what he could for his pack. And he was so smart and funny, and so, so stupid about some things. He wished they'd known him back then, that he and his dad could have been there. Peter had just been left to rot even by people who were supposed to be his friends and family. He was pissed at Scott, but if he thought his friend was in actual, real trouble, he'd drop the anger in a heartbeat and go save the day. Stiles couldn't imagine just... just accepting it and 'moving on'. Maybe he was just wired differently or something. Either way, he knew that Peter had deserved better.
Sure the guy was a smug, cocky asshole... but so was he. Sometimes he thought they were a lot alike, and if no one had come for the wolf - arguably cooler and more charismatic - then who would come for him?
"You're angry."
"No shit." The words tumbled out, and Stiles looked at Taika with wide eyes and lifted hands. "I mean! I mean... well yeah. I am. Peter's awesome. He didn't have to help me, you know? I think he mostly did because I'd been helping his Alpha. He hates admitting Derek is, but it's a fact and the guy needs a break so I try to give it to him. So that's probably why Peter decided to take me home that night and anyway, that's not important. The point is that Peter's amazing and he's mine and I'm angry that nobody seemed to care that he was hurt."
Another charged moment of quiet fell, and this time Stiles couldn't fight the urge to squirm. What if Taika left? What if they didn't like that his estimation of them had lowered? What if what if what if...
"I'm so glad that he found you, Stiles." Their tone was gentle, and when he managed to bring himself to look at them again, they were smiling just as kindly. "You and your father both. Would you like some time away from me to think all this over, or would you like to try and channel that anger into something?"
"Magic?" Even if he was angry and disappointed and definitely less infatuated with Taika than he'd been twenty minutes ago... he was still intrigued. He knew he was a cat that curiosity was bound to kill someday.
"Magic." They confirmed with a small nod. "Usually it's considered a more advanced technique, but I think you can do it. But again - if you'd like some time without me, we can try this later instead."
"No. It's..." Stiles stopped for a moment, feeling his brow furrow as he tried to sort through everything so that he could explain. "My dad used to drink so much he could barely remember my name. Peter trapped me and some friends in a school where I thought we were all going to die, and he tormented the girl I li... respect to save himself after he died. Adults let you down sometimes, you know? It's just what happens. Doesn't mean I don't still want them to be around. You're a good teacher," he added while lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "I can be mad and still enjoy learning from you."
He'd learned early that adults were just people, and people weren't perfect. Stiles figured it was better to take people as they were instead of demanding they have zero flaws before he’d let them close. Imperfections didn't mean someone wasn't worth loving, so long as they were trying to change.
"Thank you, mageling." As Taika unfolded and stood up, they reached out to ruffle his hair. "You have a good head on your shoulders. If this works as I think it will, you're going to need a snack afterwards. I'm going to go grab something and I'll be right back."
Once they were out of the room, Stiles grabbed his phone to shoot a few quick texts to Peter. He didn't get an immediate answer, but he didn't expect one. The wolf seemed to have some kind of quota that needed to be met before he'd finally deign to respond. Probably thought it would hide how much he liked being pestered. Since he knew without a doubt that he was Peter's favorite, Stiles didn't let it stop him. Zombie Wolf could have his delusions as long as he didn't fully run away again.
"Now." Taika returned with a plate full of fruit and a large glass of water. "The universe has given you a gift, Stiles. Let me show you how to light that spark."